A Child's Gift
by Sarah Lynne
Summary: A story I wrote a long time ago and decided to post here. Rowen's in a bit a funk. What will pull him out?


Disclaimer: Ronin Warriors does not belong to me in any way. Yet I wish it  
did. (Yummy!! RRRooooowwwwweeeennnn.....*drool*)  
  
A Child's Gift  
  
by Rowen no Koibito  
  
  
The sunlight filtered down on the park as the children played. Parents  
watched their bundles of joy with smiles on the faces and waves of their  
hands. Yet this happiness did not reach a certain teenager who sat by   
himself on a bench in the shade of a sakura tree. The shadows made his blue  
hair darker than usual. The blue headband keeping the hair out of his eyes  
seemed almost to blend with his hair. The blue eyes shimmered slightly as  
they watched the children at their innocent play. The young man's hands  
rested on his abdomen lightly. Yet they shivered slightly. His entire  
body seemed to convulse in silent weeping. One lone tear traveled slowly  
down his cheek to splash lightly on his hand.  
  
To Rowen Hashiba, the cheery sunlight and gay birdsong were distant  
and cold. He didn't hear the children's laughter or the parent's happy   
chatter. All he could hear was the drumming anger of his house. His parent's  
voices raised in volume. Their sniping at each other about their extra-  
marital affairs resounded throughout the house almost every hour they were  
home. Rowen would sit in his bedroom and hunch on his bed. He would   
listen with pain in his heart as the voices drifted up to him. He would  
pull his knees up to his chest and rock back and forth, tears streaming  
down his face as he tried to block out the shouting. Why did his parents have  
to fight? Why couldn't they just get along like normal parents?  
  
Many times their arguing would end in slamming doors. Heavy  
footsteps would be heard pounding up the stairs. Rowen would cower even lower,  
trying to hide in the bed. The heavy pounding would stop outside his door.  
The door would open with the creaking of the rusty hinges as his father's  
belt would clear its loops. The creak of the door would last for a few  
seconds. Yet to young Rowen's ears, it would echo into infinity. After that,  
he only remembered too well what happened. His limping to school with long  
pants and long-sleeved shirts on were evidence enough.  
  
Now young 14-year-old Rowen sat on a green park bench with the   
pigeons gathering around him. He had come here to escape the inevitable at   
home. Yet he knew it was only a short respite. He would have to go home  
soon if he didn't want the hardships to be more in coming. Yet as he sat  
there, Rowen questioned his sanity. Why was he going back to a man that abused  
him and a woman that obviously didn't love him? Why was he going back day  
after day to hear these people blame each other and him for their   
problems? Yet Rowen knew those answers. They were his family, no matter  
how hateful they were. They were all he had. No one at school really  
cared. He was the school genius and unapproachable. The students would  
rather sneer at him than befriend him. There was that one blonde boy, Sage  
Date, who was friendly, but Rowen only contributed that to a kind nature.  
So his loyalty to his family was complete. No matter how much agony it cost  
him in his heart, soul, and body.  
  
The tears were falling thicker now. His entire body wracked violently  
with sobs as he slowly lifted a hand to cover his eyes. He tried to block  
the feelings of helplessness and sorrow with that hand, but the tears leaked  
through. Why?! Why did he have to cause so much sorrow and discord   
around him? He caused discomfort for the students at school. He has caused  
his parents to argue enough that they can's stand the sight of each other  
or him? Maybe he should do something to rectify the situation. If he left,  
everything would return to normal. His parents would love each other again  
and live happily together without his fouling presence. A vision of the 1st  
Street bridge loomed within his inner eye. It was the place where all his  
problems could be solved.   
  
As Rowen was about to get up and take up his grisly mission, gentle  
footsteps stopped before him. Rowen's tear-filled blue eyes rose to meet  
a pair of sweet brown eyes. Ebony black curls framed the white face of a  
little girl. She was dressed in a set of blue overalls with a pale pink   
T-shirt underneath. There were streaks of dirt on her cheeks from her play.  
The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Rowen was  
somewhat startled when the little girl said in a high and piping voice,   
"Don't cry, mister. Everything's going to be all right. If you   
believe in yourself, then everything else will work . Just believe."  
  
Before the awed Rowen could react, the little girl had reached into   
her pocket and pulled a small blue crystal ball out. She held it forward  
towards Rowen. He hesitantly reached out and took it. As he did, the girl  
said, "This made me lucky and happy in the past. Maybe it can help you."  
  
With no further comment, the little girl bounced away to her waiting  
playmates, leaving the crystal orb in a very dazed Rowen's hand. He looked  
down at the ball and contemplated the little girl's words. A wan smile  
played over his lips as his fingers curled up around his prize. He shakily  
stood and prepared to go, the tear tracks on his face evaporating in the  
breeze. Yet before he left, he turned his head slightly to whisper one word  
softly into the wind towards the little girl, "Arigatou......"  
  
END  
  
Well, there ya go. My first Ronin fanfic ever. A little on the morbid side  
but still there. Sorry if I played too much with the real past of Rowen.  
Hope you enjoyed it and I would really love comments,flames, death threats,   
marriage proposels at rowennokoibito@yahoo.com. Thanx for reading! 


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